Airship



June 24 1924.

WITNESS E 8.'

L. LEM M AIRSHIP Filed July 27. 1922 GE II f A 5 Sheets-Sheet l jeolepzva,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 24- 1924. 1,499,232

, L. LEMM AIRSHIP Filed July 27, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 lea Jemm,

INVEI QTOR I way WITNESS E5; ArroRNEY June 24, 1924.

lea jar/2M INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

June 24 1924.

1,499,232 L. LEMM AIRSHIP Filed July 2'7, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR WITNESSES:

lea .Zm 71 Patented June 24, 1924.

STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nno LEMM, on MILWAUKEE, wrsoo nsm, ASSIGNOR'TO LULA'THEIS, OF MILWAUKEE,

WISCONSIN.

AIRSHIP.

Application filed July 27, 1922. Serial No. 577,812.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, LEO. LEMM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee,

in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Airships, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in air ships, the general object of the invention being to provide a plurality of gas holding members with means for filling them'simultaneously and with means for preventing the puncturing and the resultant escape of gas from one member from affecting the other 1 members, thus providing buoyancy even though a number of the members have collapsed. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of propellersat the sides of 0 the ship with means for actuating thesame by independent motors. p

A further object of the invention is to make the rudders in sections so that if one or more sections should become damaged the ship can still be steered by the remaining sections.

Afurther object of the invention is to construct portions of the frame part of metal reinforced by wood so as to make the frame part of great strength and reduce the danger of the framework collapsing. i

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof. p

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectionalview.

Figure at is a front end view. I I I Figure 5 is a rear end view.

. Figure 13 isa detail sectional view show- Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the framework.

' Figure 8 is a section on line 88 of Figure 7.

'Figure 9 is a section on line 99 of Figure 7. V

.Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view through the lower portion of one of the gas ifnembers and showing the check valve there- Figure 11 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the channel bars. Figure 12 is aysimilar view the ring members. i

of one of ing the driving means for a propeller. I As shown inthese views the vessel is (ill? vided into a. plurality of compartments by thepartitions 1 and each compartment con tains a ballonet 2. The partitions are preferably formed of resilient material or similar material to reduce friction betweenthe partitions and the ballonets and thus pree ventwear of the parts. A filling pipe 3 runs along thebot-tom of the vessel and this filling pipe is connected with each of the ballonets by the connection 4 each connection having a spring controlled check valve'5 for preventing the escape of gas from the ballonet but permitting the gas to pass from the filling pipe into the ballonet. The filling pipe is provided with a couplingS which extends through the lower part of the vessel and is adapted to be connectedwith a supply pipe so that the ballonets can be filled with gas simultaneously. The valves will prevent the gas from escaping from the ballonets and it will i be seen that ifone ballonet is punctured the gas will still remain in the other ballonets and l prefer to so construct the parts that a number of these ballonets can collapse'and yet the, vessel will retain its buoyancy through the remaining ballonets. I

The frame of the vessel is composed of a number of substantially ring-shaped mem- 95 bers 6 and the longitudinally extending I members 7 which are bolted to the members 6, the framework being strengthened by the stay wires 8. I prefer to form each member 6 of a pair of angle members 9 which have their abutting. flanges bolted together with the partition forming material clamped between them. These members 6 are m1 is up of a plurality of flat portions,each of which is arranged at a slight incline to the ad a cent portions and the portions which are bolted to the members 7 areenlarged, as at 10, so as to provide large seating surfaces for said members 7. The members 7 are composed of channel strips 11, preferably formed of aluminum and wooden. strips 12 which are seated in the channel strips and bolted thereto. The members 6 are also preferably formed of aluminum. The members 7 are located at the junctions of the inclined portions of the members 6 and I also pro-' vide members 7 which are placed intermewood though in this case the wooden strips 12 project a considerable distance above the metal strips; The envelope or cover 13 is fastened to the wooden strips. The cabins or gondolas 14 are connected by the passage-- ways 15, the fore and aft gondolas containing the motors and the central gondola containing the steering mechanism. 2

I prefer. to place two propellers 16 at each side of the vessel, these propellers having four blades each. They are carried by frames 17 which are connected with the framework of the vessel andeach propeller has its shaft geared to a drive shaft 18 I which passes downwardly at an incline into a gondola 14 where it is suitably connected with a motor 19. I provide a motor, preferably of twelve cylinders, for driving each propeller so that they are driven independently of each other. The gears 20 which connect thedrive shaft with the propeller shaft are enclosed in a casing 21 which is carried by the framework 17.

The Vertical rudder is formed in sections, as shown at 22. These sections are rotatably mounted on a shaft 23 supported at the rear end of the vessel by the projecting framework 24. A rock shaft 25 is arranged in the rear end of the vessel and said shaft has arms 26 thereon which are connected by the flexible members 27 with the arms 28 on the rudder sections. This shaft 25 is rocked by the movement of the steering wheel 29 in the central cabin through the connections 30 which are fastened to the said shaft. In thisway if anything should happen to one or more sections the remaining section or sections can be used to steer the vessel. 7 r

The horizontal rudders 31 are connected by the link 32 and the arms 33 on these rudders are connected by the flexible members 34 with the arms 35 of the rock shaft '36. This rock shaft is connected by the five of them may be punctured and yet the V ship will remain afloat through the buoyancy imparted to it by the undamaged ballonets. By placing the ballonets in the compartments, the walls of which are formed of non-frictional material wear on thefabric .of the ballonets is preventedand the ballonets are held against movement. The propellers arranged and constructed as shown will drive the ship at great speed and the ship can be maneuvered by these propellers, in addition to the rudders, as they are driven from separate motors. The construction of the framework imparts great strength and rigidity to the ship for if the metal should break the wooden parts would still hold and vice versa. The passageways permit the crew to pass from one gondolaor cabin toanother without being subjected to the elements. and these passageways may be connected with the interior of the vessel by the ports which are closed by the doors L0. The rudders being constructed in sections will permit the ship to be guided even though some of the sections havebeen damaged and put out of action.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent. I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims. What I claim is 2- y 1. An aircraft comprising a body, gas holding means therein, a cabin adjacent each end of the body and at the lower part of the same, a central cabin, passages connecting the cabins together, propellers at the sides of the body, motors in the end cabins, means'for connecting the motors with the propellers, steering means at one end of the body and actuating means for the steering means arranged in the central cabin. r

2. In an aircraft, a framework constructed of substantially ring-shaped members, each formed of a pair of members of angle shape incross section with their adjacent flanges 'bolted together, horizontally extending members fastened to the ring-shaped memhers, some of the hor zontal members being formed of channel-shaped metal pieces and wooden strips located in the channels and fastened therein.

3. In an air ship framework consisting 5 shaped members and a body comprising a of substantially ringlongitudinally extending members secured to the ring-shaped members, formed of two par partitions dividing the body into compartments, the partitions being clamped between the parts of the ring-shapedmembers.

In testimony whereof I aifiX my signature. 1

LEO LEMM. 

